Northport Mayor Dale Phillips addressed local business owners and civic leaders on Tuesday, acknowledging that the Main Avenue overhaul is running a little behind schedule after ten months of work. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama’s Transportation Summit held at the Tuscaloosa River Market, the mayor apologized for the inconvenience to downtown merchants and reiterated the project’s importance for the city’s future.
Project scope and funding
The Main Avenue project will rebuild the corridor from 5th Street downtown to McFarland Boulevard. The total cost is projected at just under $6 million, with 80 % of the funding coming from the Tuscaloosa Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the remaining 20 % covered by the City of Northport. Planned improvements include road rehabilitation, new 6‑foot sidewalks with curb and gutter from 5th to 24th Street and from 32nd Street to McFarland, a realigned intersection at 10th Street, upgraded lighting, landscaping, drainage upgrades, and utility enhancements.
Current status
Construction is presently focused between 5th and 10th streets, where crews are relocating utilities. The contractor, GFC Construction, and engineering firm TTL are handling the work. The mayor noted that while the schedule is slightly delayed, the city expects to make up lost time and complete the project within the original timeframe.
“Main Avenue may be one of the most talked‑about things in the city of Northport right now,” Phillips said. “We get calls every day because of the inconvenience it causes, and I understand that. But you have to have inconvenience to gain progress.”
Related infrastructure milestones
Phillips highlighted recent progress on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, which reopened after a bridge replacement over Two Mile Creek and a $28 million reconstruction that began in January 2025. The roadway is now 93 % complete, with only final striping, lighting, and punch‑list items remaining. Like Main Avenue, the boulevard project was funded 80 % by the MPO and 20 % by the city.
Downtown streetscape improvements
The third phase of Northport’s streetscape and sidewalk upgrades is finished. This $1.5 million phase added roughly 700 feet of streetscape along 1st Street, improving the look and accessibility of the area between Lurleen Wallace Boulevard and the Dreamland entrance. Funding came primarily from a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant.
Phase IV, which will extend work from the Dreamland entrance to 3rd Street, is currently in design and is expected to cost about $2 million. Bids are anticipated in late November or December.
Future projects and challenges
The city’s 5th Street project, intended to extend the road toward the Tuscaloosa National Airport, is awaiting federal approval. Design is substantially complete, but ALDOT authorization for right‑of‑way is still pending. The mayor said the city hopes the federal funds will be released by the end of the month or early November.
Mayor Phillips also praised Councilor Jaime Conger for championing a citywide effort to repair aging storm‑pipe infrastructure. The city has committed $3‑$4 million to reline or replace metal storm pipes identified in a 2023 assessment, with the first phase slated for bid on November 24.
Long‑term vision
Looking ahead, Phillips described a conceptual, city‑funded extension of Hospital Drive that would link 3rd Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, creating an alternate north‑south route to improve access to downtown on game days and during Riverfront Park events. “This is our vision. It’s not a pipe dream, but it’s down the road,” he said.
Having completed his first year in office, Phillips urged patience and perseverance. “You have to set the goals, you have to set your vision to a certain point, and you have to stay the course to get there,” he concluded.
Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.
